Student kills himself in payday loan 'cry for help'

A student overdosed on diet pills after he took out a £100 payday loan which left him owing £800 within three months.

Courtney Mitchell Lewis, a student at Swansea University, is believed to have been worried about money – and took the 17 slimming tablets after a night out with friends.

Before he died, the 21-year-old posted a Facebook status which said: "I don't want to die, I think it is too late."

The payday lender has not been identified, but police have confirmed it was not a loan shark.

Our take: More really needs to be done to help people who feel so desperate and worried about money that they take out a payday loan. Our thoughts go out to Courtney’s family and we hope that more short-term solutions are offered to everyone who is struggling. That way, they don’t feel like they have to resort to taking out a payday loan.

Law students overturn murder conviction

A group of students who investigate potential miscarriages of justice have successfully helped a former gang member overturn his murder conviction on appeal.

The Innocence Project, run by the law department at Cardiff University, proved that the conviction of Dwaine George (pictured above) – who was jailed for life in 2002 – was no longer safe. He was accused of shooting Daniel Dale, 18, in Manchester, but has always insisted he was innocent.

In a statement, Mr George said: "First and foremost, my thoughts go out to Daniel Dale’s family. He lost his life in this tragic event and I always said I wasn’t responsible for that."

“Today, I have got the result I wanted – I have lost a lot of my life that I can’t get back, but I just want to get on with my life now. I hope the Cardiff Innocence Project will get all the recognition it deserves for this."

Our take: These students are going to be the lawyers and solicitors of tomorrow (well, not literally, give them a few years!) and it’s great that they are getting a head start by helping an innocent man get a murder conviction overturned. That really is something to be proud of!

EE to stop Orange Wednesdays

Oh no! 🙁 Those mean people at EE are going to stop Orange Wednesdays, which allows customers to get 2 for 1 deals at selected cinemas and Pizza Express restaurants once a week.

The network said the number of people making the most of the offer has steadily declined in recent years – with streaming sites and the marvellous invention of online takeaways principally to blame.

You can still get your fill of cheap movies and nom-noms until the offer stops in February 2015. EE are planning on replacing the offer with something else – but what? We don’t know yet…

Our take: Who knows, the new deal may be better? Maybe not, though – take advantage of Orange Wednesdays whilst you still have the opportunity!

Policeman climbs into lion enclosure randomly

Why would you climb in to a lion enclosure? That’s what investigators want to know after an off-duty policeman willingly climbed in to the lion’s den at Barcelona Zoo.

Justo José was rescued by the emergency services half an hour later. Hoses and fire extinguishers were used to ward off the big beasts, and the 45-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

The man – who has a history of arrests – does not have life-threatening injuries and will be OK. Apparently, the lions just wanted to play with him… not turn him into a chew toy.

Our take: If you really want to play with a big cat – just find a fat DOMESTIC cat and give it a cuddle. Lions can and will eat you. What was that man thinking?!

Uni acapella group releases Mariah Carey cover

An awesome and very talented acapella group, Out Of The Blue, have released a Christmas single, covering the classic All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey.

The all-male group, first formed in 2001, are from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, and are raising funds for charity. In 2011, they reached the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent.

Our take: It's a hilarious video for a number of great causes – what could be better? And, as Mariah Carey has been hitting several bum notes in her live performances recently, it's good that there's a talented act that can pick up the baton while she rests her voice.

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